The National Symphony Orchestra perform for students in Stanhope Street Primary School in Dublin to celebrate the launch of RTEjr. Pictured are Alexandra Trif (6), Adno Abdulle (6) and Anthony Fleming (7). (Image: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)

HERE ARE THE things you need to know as we round off the day in three easy steps…

THINGS WE LEARNED

#CROKE PARK II: Seven unions have rejected proposals in the extended public service agreement on pay and reforms. The deal now hinges on the verdict of the two largest trade unions in the country, SIPTU and IMPACT, which are expected to announce the results of their ballots in the next two days.

#SECRET TAPES: Academic researchers behind Boston College’s Belfast oral history project will have to hand over the tapes recorded during controversial interviews with convicted IRA bomber Dolours Price to police investigating the murder of Jean McConville in 1972.

#ABUSE: The HSE has been criticised for its failure to protect children after it emerged that one girl who was the victim of a sexual assault six months ago is still waiting for a counsellor to be assigned to her case. She tried to end her own life in recent months.

#JUDICIARY: Fianna Fáil has warned that a full-scale constitutional crisis could emerge from the “escalating row” between Justice Minister Alan Shatter and the Irish judiciary. Earlier this evening, a judges’ group said it fully supported the comments made by Justice Peter Kelly about judiciary independence and perceived government interference.

#SEX ABUSE: A Belfast court has heard that Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams confronted his brother about allegations of sexual abuse in March 1987, reports BBC News. Liam Adams faces three charges of rape, three of gross indecency and four of indecent assault, allegedly committed against his daughter between 1977 and 1983.

#PRESSIES: During her historic May 2011 visit to Ireland, Queen Elizabeth II gave Enda Kenny a bottle of whiskey. Although the rare malt is worth less than €650 – and thus can be kept in the Taoiseach’s personal collection – it will remain on display at government buildings because of its diplomatic significance.

THINGS WE LOVED

• Manchester United Football Club‘s tribute to its “great neighbours” Liverpool as the city remembers the tragic loss of 96 football fans “who went to watch their team and never came back”. TheScore.ie has collected other images of today’s anniversary here.
• Game developer, father and Reddit user Doug couldn’t find an iOS game difficult and engaging enough for his one-year-old daughter, so he built his own. Check out ChuggaBugga.
• This lived-in, Dublin log cabin.

THINGS WE SHARED

(Image: Andrew Milligan /PA Wire)

• PC Charlotte Work (pictured above) has called for the mother of an abandoned baby to come forward so she can receive necessary medical assistance. The baby, named Charlotte after the officer who rescued her, is due to be put into foster care on Tuesday, reports the Herald Scotland. She was found on a bench in Edinburgh on Thursday afternoon. It is thought that she was less than one-day-old.
• Marilyn Monroe’s pearl earrings from Gentelmen Prefer Blondes, Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra snake-belt and Scarlet O’Hara’s necklace all live in the one place…Hollywood jewellery heaven.
• The Justin Bieber/Anne Frank furore rolled on today, with commentary, analysis and continued Twitter anger. The BBC has compiled this excellent round-up of the Internet’s five interpretations of the controversy.
• The second instalment of the Hunger Games trilogy is due out at the end of this year but the franchise has already released its first teaser trailer. And we’ve totally fallen for it. Mostly because the evil combination of Philip Seymour Hoffman and Donald Sutherland pitted against the luminosity of Jennifer Lawrence looks enthralling.

(YouTube/TheHungerGamesMovie)

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